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Wagyu steak, Kobe style
和牛ステーキ: richly marbled beef seared quickly and eaten with salt, wasabi and crisp garlic
Kobe's steakhouses cook beef on a hot iron plate in front of the diners, cut it into bite-size pieces and serve it with little more than salt, wasabi and golden garlic chips. Genuine Kobe beef is a protected name: it can only come from certified Tajima cattle born and raised in Hyogo prefecture that meet strict grading rules, and it is rare and costly outside Japan. This recipe is cooked in the same style, with any good wagyu, or a well-marbled sirloin or ribeye if you cannot get wagyu. Because the fat is so rich, a modest portion goes a long way. Chef's tip: cut a small piece of fat from the edge of the steak and melt it in the pan instead of oil; it greases the pan and adds a lovely beefy aroma.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
For the steak
To serve
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Take the 10 ½ oz wagyu sirloin or ribeye steak, or a well-marbled sirloin out of the fridge 15 minutes before cooking and pat it dry. Trim off a small piece of fat from the edge, about the size of a thumbnail.
Step 2: Put the trimmed fat (or the 1 tbsp vegetable oil) and the 3 cloves garlic in a cold heavy frying pan. Heat over a low heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until the garlic is pale gold and crisp. Lift it out onto kitchen paper straight away, as it darkens fast.
5 minStep 3: Season the steak on both sides with half the 1 tsp flaky sea salt and the ¼ tsp black pepper, just before cooking.
Step 4: Turn the heat to high. When the fat in the pan just starts to smoke, lay in the steak and sear for 1.5 to 2 minutes, until a deep brown crust forms.
2 minStep 5: Turn and sear the other side for 1.5 to 2 minutes, then briefly hold the fatty edge against the pan. For medium, cook until the centre reaches 145°F/145 °F; rarer is a personal choice. Common mistake: cooking wagyu to well done like a lean steak. The marbling melts and runs out, leaving the meat greasy and dry at once.
4 minStep 6: Rest the steak on a warm board for 5 minutes.
5 minStep 7: Slice the steak into 2 cm cubes or strips. Serve with the garlic chips, the remaining salt, the 1 tsp wasabi and a little 1 tbsp soy sauce for dipping if you like. Dab a small amount of wasabi and a few salt flakes on each piece as you eat.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 2 g
- Fat
- 49 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does wagyu steak, Kobe style take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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